Gigabyte HD4850 GV-R485-512H-B Review

Introduction:

With all of the new graphics cards emerging, consumers are looking for the one video card that is the best bang-for-the-buck. When ATI's Radeon HD 3800 series came out last year, the cards definitely had premium performance at a non-premium price. The 3800 series sent shock waves through the enthusiast community because the unparalleled performance was available for an awfully low price. Just recently, ATI released its new Radeon HD 4800 series and there has been a lot of hype surrounding these cards. Can ATI repeat the magic of the 3800 series? Let's take a look at the 4850, which is the current entry-level video card to the 4800 series. The particular graphics card that we'll be taking a look at today is manufactured by Gigabyte. Will this card live up to the hype and be the absolute best bang-for-the-buck on the market right now? How will it compare to some of the other 4850s? Let's dig in and find out!

Over the years, Gigabyte has built a reputation as having some of the highest quality products that are always reliable and can be pushed quite far while overclocking. How far will this card be able to handle being overclocked? Will the headroom be better than some of its other competitors? Join me as I find out if Gigabyte has pumped out yet another winner to add to the company's trophy case.

Closer Look:

The Gigabyte HD 4850 comes packaged in a glossy and very reflective box that features a woman in the future suited up for battle. The glowing colors of pink, purple, and white that are behind her make her stand out. On the back of the box you'll find an example of what the ATI Avivo video and display engine does. You'll also find the specifications of the card in multiple languages. Upon opening the box, you'll find the Gigabyte 4850 is securely held in place by foam and is wrapped in anti-static plastic. The accessories are in the compartment above the video card while the manual and driver CD are resting on top of the card.

Included with the Gigabyte HD 4850 is a manual, driver CD, a DVI to HDMI adapter, a DVI to D-Sub adapter, a Crossfire connector, a Molex 4-pin to PCI-E 6-pin power converter, and an HDTV breakout cable.

Now that we've got the card unpacked, let's get a closer look at the Gigabyte HD 4850 on its own!